Report Sparks J.J. McCarthy Speculation

Last year’s Vikings season went up in smoke primarily due to the subpar quarterback play the trio of passers provided throughout the year. Unsurprisingly, the most important task this offseason was to add some oomph to the quarterback room. Kyler Murray arrived in March to shake up the depth chart and either replace or push young signal-caller J.J. McCarthy.

Just two years after his draft day and just one year after his rise to the QB1 spot, McCarthy is caught in a battle for his place in the starting lineup, and perhaps even for a future within the organization.

While most expected the more experienced Murray to come out victorious and lead the squad onto the field in Week 1, McCarthy might be looking for an exit. A report from NFL insider Jason LaCanfora, as well as comments from Mike Florio, have raised some eyebrows.

LaCanfora chatted with an unspecified GM, who remarked, “I think he wants out of there. I think he’s wanted out of there since they signed Murray. Those personalities are not going to be a good fit.”

The reason for those speculations is McCarthy’s awkward comments at OTAs, where he compared his situation with Murray to that of two students in the classroom.

McCarthy said last week, “It’s just like two guys in a classroom. He sits on one side, I sit on the other side, and it’s the coach’s responsibility to teach us and coach us. Awkwardness? It’s just like the same feeling when you’re in high school, and there’s another person on the other side of the room. That’s just kind of how it is. I wouldn’t say there’s any awkwardness. It’s a true competition.”

The tenth overall draft choice from 2024 missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury and took over from Sam Darnold in 2025. His first campaign on the field didn’t go according to plan, as his play was overshadowed by injuries and inconsistency.

Of course, it’s too early to write a 23-year-old off after just ten games, but the Vikings had to bolster the quarterback room this offseason to avoid another lost season because of a struggling aerial attack.

McCarthy, however, might not be a big fan of Murray’s arrival.

Mike Florio said on his podcast, Pro Football Talk, “There’s a question of whether and to what extent McCarthy will be able to handle being the backup. Will he be resentful? Will he cause division within the locker room? Will he be quick to point out any mistake Kyler Murray makes? He has to fully embrace his status on the depth chart. That may be impossible for him to do.”

There’s a reason why backup quarterbacks like ex-Viking Nick Mullens have long careers in the NFL. They know their place as the backup that’s only playing in case of injury to the starter. A younger player with a first-round draft pedigree like McCarthy wants to be the guy under center rather than a supporting act.

Florio thinks a reunion with an old friend could help McCarthy.

“Trade him to the Chargers. I know they’ve got Trey Lance back to be an understudy to Justin Herbert. But Jim Harbaugh is the one who went on and on about J.J. McCarthy.”

His former college coach, Harbaugh, acted like a cheerleader when McCarthy entered the draft, but he couldn’t keep his passer after taking over the Chargers with Justin Herbert.

Florio added, “I think back to March of 2025. Nobody knew who was in charge. Those were all things I was hearing from reliable sources … no one knew who was calling the shots. No one knew what they were going to do at quarterback. But I did pick up the idea that, if they brought back Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones last year, they were going to have a major problem with JJ McCarthy. I think that may be one of the reasons why they decided, ‘You know what, fine, fine. You’re the guy, go be the guy.’”

At the end of the day, the Vikings need McCarthy to work on his craft, whether he’s the starter or not. He might still end up being the franchise quarterback down the road. Murray’s injury history isn’t the shortest either and McCarthy might be asked to step in sooner rather than later, even if he’s the QB2 to start the season.

The Vikings don’t have much to lose at this point. They could trade McCarthy for pennies on the dollar, or they could keep him around to see if he can live up to the draft capital they invested in him.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote last month, “It doesn’t make a lot of sense to trade him. The Vikings have already paid 70% of McCarthy’s rookie contract. There’s no way they could get anything in return that remotely approaches what they spent in terms of draft capital to acquire him in the first place. They’re less than a year removed from believing he could be their starter, not just now but for years to come. And it’s not like Murray is some automatic fix, either. He has had one fully healthy season in the past five, and the Cardinals are paying him almost $36 million this year to play for another team.”

The reality is that the Vikings don’t need to make a decision on McCarthy anytime soon. They can let the quarterback competition play out, keep developing the former first-round pick, and see where things stand after the season.

If McCarthy truly views Murray’s arrival as a threat, the best response isn’t frustration but improvement. At 23 years old, he still has plenty of time to prove he can be Minnesota’s long-term answer. For now, the Vikings would be wise to ignore the trade speculation and focus on getting the most out of both quarterbacks. After all, having two viable options under center is a far better problem than the one they faced a year ago.

Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.

Janik Eckardt is a German sports nerd, who likes numbers and stats. He chose the Vikings to be his … More about Janik Eckardt